Corrupted
by Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare
Summary: Sora and his younger brother Denzel face the Heartless for the first time. But Sora gets whisked away by a mysterious group in black, and soon Roxas is born for their devious intentions. .:. semi-Xover AU oneshot. random and pointless.


**A/N: I really don't know where this bizarre, semi-FF7-crossover AU oneshot came from. 'Tis so random. Lulz. XD**

**P.S. I apologize for any typos; I used spell-check but I dunno, ever since I accidentally spilled cream soda on the keyboard, it's never been the same (although it made me typo a lot to begin with).**

**#runs off to go watch Sherlock Holmes… again.#**

* * *

The younger brother tugs on the other's sleeve with an anxious grip. "Come on, Sora!" he says, his pubescent voice cracking in panic. "We have to _move! _Now!!"

But Sora is frozen. His cerulean eyes flicker, registering the words and actions, although his body refuses to comply with either. He merely watches, unblinking.

Sora's brother bites his lip. His own blue-green eyes begin to water. "Sora… please… I don't want you to –" He was about to say, 'succumb to the Darkness,' but the words can't make it past his teeth. They die in his throat. His gaze switches between keeping track of his older brother and the swelling portal of eerie Darkness. The portal made a storm above the Islands, raining down liquid thunder that opens up tiny spouts for new portals. He is fearful, not for himself, but for everybody else. At least his big brother wields the Keyblade. At least his two guardians, Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, can fight and protect Kairi and Marlene and Riku, the other three orphans that stay with them. At least. But what of the others?

"Denzel," Sora murmurs, calling out to his younger sibling. They are the only family they have left. They have to stick together. "Heartless are coming."

He sees them. He sees the odd-looking creatures emerge from the abyss, ones of all different shapes and sizes and colors and strengths. He pretends not to be afraid. He stands tall beside Sora. "We can take them."

"No," Sora says, his voice still soft and toneless. He stiffens, his back cracks as he straightens it, and the Keyblade is summoned. It shimmers with white light into his awaiting hand. "_I_ can take them. Get back to the main island, Denzel. Wait for me there. I'll hold them back long enough for you to warn the others of the invasion, and then I'll join you."

"Sora," Denzel whispers, and clings tighter to his brother's sleeve. "Don't do this. You'll get hurt. You'll –"

Sora smiles bitterly. "I'll be fine," he lies. "Now go. And please… get Cloud for me."

Denzel knows that Cloud can understand the Darkness better than anyone, and besides that, he can fight the best. He would be the most suitable help for Sora. So Denzel flees. He runs as fast as he can, dives off the dock into the water, and swims for his life. A swim that normally is made into a fun race between he and his friends and brother, a game. But not this time. This time it's a swim to safety, a fretful race back to shore.

He splashes in the shallow water, and he can see Sora in the distance, a speck of moving color and flashing blade against sand and green mountain. He wipes away unshed tears and turns to run, soaking wet, toward Cloud's home.

Meanwhile, Sora is panting. He breathes shallowly, trying not to inhale the taste of lightning and shadow. He grits his teeth and slashes, slashes, slashes his way through Heartless. Some are ant-like Shadows. Others are tall, fat Large Bodies. Some of them appear small and cute, like the Fungi, but are just as tough as the rest. He keeps going. Rabid Dogs, a Crescendo, and some that appear like flowers from the grass or jellyfish from the sea.

He kills them all.

Their captured hearts float up like pink stars, drifting onward into the sky to light the way to destruction. Beacons they are, little beacons of light and forgotten hopes and dreams since being a Heartless. Sora wonders vaguely if those hearts will return to their proper owners, or if they will simply melt away into the Lifestream and be reborn. Maybe. He prays that they may be reborn or returned, because he hates to think that those hearts will die.

But he feels like he's wrong. Sora thinks he knows; knows from the bottom of his own heart that those released, shining pink beacons go someplace else, and join together. He knows that they form something important, something valuable.

_[You are thinking of Kingdom Hearts.]_

"What?" Sora breathes, because he heard it, he knows he did. He glances around, and sees a new enemy on the horizon. Silver enemies, many of them, with different faded colors all over them, but blinking silver all the same. "Dammit, what now?"

They are Nobodies, but to Sora, they have no name except for the title, 'need to be destroyed.' The fifteen-year-old grinds his teeth again and charges with a roar. One of the enemies isn't silver. It has human form, and appears amidst the silver and palely colored ones. It wears a black cloak that masks its face.

"Keyblade Master," it calls, and the person uncloaks himself. The man is short. He does not smile. He looks familiar, with his periwinkle-and-silver colored hair and steely grey eyes. Or _eye_, rather, because the other is just barely hidden behind his bangs on his right side. "We've come to gather you."

"What for?" Sora growls. "Who do you work for, Errand Boy?"

"You will see soon enough," the man says. He sounds bored, but Sora knows better. He can see the man shaking. "Please, don't fight me. The Darkness was going to take you sooner or later anyhow. If you join us, it will be much less painful, I promise."

Sora can see Cloud on shore in the distance. He can hear Denzel calling out a warning to him. He can also block all of this out by closing his eyes and sealing his ears with his fingers. An icy hand touches his bare forearm. For a second time, words are heard yet not heard. They enter his skull with crystal clear precision.

_[You need not be afraid, my liege. Zexion will guide you to where you truly belong.]_

Sora's eyes pop open, and dull slightly. He falls limp, relaxed, and allows his gaze to turn to his left, where Zexion is standing in front of the crashing waves. "Come. Your heart is strong and the only heart there is that is perfectly balanced between the Light and the Dark. We need you. But most importantly, you need us."

And suddenly two smaller, human-shaped portals appear behind Zexion, and Sora watches as a blond-haired man and a red-haired man (who reminds him a lot of Cloud's friend Reno) appear.

"What's taking so long, Zexy?" the blond whines.

"Do you want me to grab him?" the redhead asks at the same time.

Zexion silences his two comrades with a raised hand. He lowers it and then offers the opposite hand out to Sora. "Let's go… Roxas."

"Roxas?"

"You will soon be him, anyway. And you will be yourself."

The redhead cracks a smile. "It's complicated. Try not to read in to it too much. Just follow us, kid, or you'll regret it, because we'll have to take you by force. And trust me, our kind of 'force' ain't pretty."

Sora swallows hard, but complies. Before Cloud can reach him, Sora grasps Zexion's hand and is dragged away by the three Nobodies in black.

Later, Sora feels antsy. The trip through Darkness, which his companions call 'portalling,' had been cold and empty and hopelessly depressing. But it also had had a bitter undertone of power and vengeance. He likes the smell of it, the thrill of the feel of it. He licks his dry lips and walks down the hallways of what the three call The Castle That Never Was in The World That Never Was. It's a desolate place, but half of Sora finds comfort in it.

Axel is the redhead's name, and Sora likes him straight away. Axel is like Riku, but more fun. He likes him a lot. Demyx is the blond's name. Demyx reminds Sora of an absent-minded version of himself. He likes Demyx a lot, too. And Zexion's name he already learned, thanks to the Dusks – the lowest form of Nobody, he learned; they are like the Shadows of the Nobody world – and Sora isn't sure, but he thinks he likes Zexion, too. The man is somewhat like a scholar, what with all the writing he does in his leather-bound books.

"Do you know how to make Heartless?" Axel asks Sora as the four of them walk together.

Sora nods.

"Good. Then you indirectly know how to make Nobodies."

He stares at the redhead.

Axel chuckles. "Tell him, Demyx. You like explaining these things."

The blond looks excited. He smiles sweetly at Sora. "You see, Sora, when a Somebody with a strong heart becomes a Heartless, a Nobody also gets created. Nobodies are the 'shells' of the strong will the person left behind. Nobodies like us who retain human form are the most powerful. We are half a person. Ergo, we still have half a heart. At least," he adds meekly, "That's my theory."

"And an excellent theory that is," Zexion mutters under his breath. "I would like to believe that we have something in our chests which allows us to express emotion." Zexion, Sora understands immediately, likes to encourage Demyx even if he has to lie about what he believes.

Axel, on the other hand, seems amused, as if he isn't sure what to believe, but likes to hear what others have to say anyway. "Yeah, yeah. That's all good and fine, but we can't know for sure. Point is, Sora, we would like to help you make your Nobody. We need the two of you to complete Kingdom Hearts. And what's more… we know your secret."

Sora tenses, and freezes mid-step. His eyes narrow as he glares in Axel's direction. "How much do you know?"

"We know enough," Axel smirks. "We know that your pal Riku has ventured into the realm of Darkness more than once, and that you've gone with him. We know that you've used the powers of Light to cure your brother Denzel of the Stigma. We know that you've also talked in your sleep, and had nightmares, and each time that Kairi has woken you up from them, you've told the same story over and over: that you keep seeing and meeting up with a boy with blond hair and eyes the same color as yours and the same face as you, but a different voice. You kept saying that you never dream or talk to him long enough to catch his name. Well, we can help you with that. But it will be fucking _painful._"

Sora doesn't wince. He had a feeling something like this would happen some day. He nods, slowly and hesitantly at first, but then more firm. "Let's do it. I'll help you guys."

"The Organization appreciates your cooperation," Zexion says mildly. He gestures to a doorway at the end of the hallway they had been strolling down. "In here."

Sora obeys. Axel and Demyx guard the doorway. The door closes behind Zexion and Sora. Another man, with bright blue hair, is in the center of the room. Another man with silver-grey hair and tan skin observes the scene from a balcony above. Zexion waits by the door. He whispers, "Follow each and every thing Saix tells you to do _precisely._ If you make one mistake, things can go very, very wrong."

Sora shrugs. He is well aware of the danger; after all, they aren't baking a cake. They're making a Nobody on purpose. This is serious business.

"Are you mentally prepared?" Saix teases with a straight face. He seems to enjoy the suffering of others' insecurities.

"Not in the least. Does it matter?" Sora says.

Saix smirks. "Not at all. Let's begin, then. First, I would like you to listen to my instructions. Then, on my signal you will carry them out as I repeat them to you. Do you understand?"

"I'm not a child," Sora reminds the tall man as he stares defiantly up at his golden-yellow eyes. "I understand."

"Good," Saix says. "Then listen carefully: first, you will summon your Keyblade, preferably Oblivion. – Before you ask, _yes,_ we know of your three signature blades: Kingdom Key, the first you obtained, and then Oathkeeper and Oblivion, the two you were able to summon once you learned to wield two at once upon forming everlasting alliances with Kairi and Riku. – Anyhow… Second, you will strike yourself in the chest, aiming for your heart, with the tip of the key. Third, when your heart is released, Zexion will capture it and as a Heartless, you must maintain your control and will and remember who you are. This is essential. Fourth, you must eat up your own heart again, therefore restoring yourself. By this time, you will have separated and thereby creating Roxas. You must go to where he lay and embrace him, in order to give him consciousness."

Sora nods. It sounds simple enough.

"Ready?"

He nods again, his fingertips twitching. Tell me when, he thinks.

"Begin. First, summon."

With a flash of purple-blue light and grey glitter, Oblivion appears in his right hand. The dark metal of it feels as smooth and purely black as volcanic glass.

"Second, stab."

Sora flips his Keyblade in his hand and aims the sharp end at his sternum. He doesn't hesitate; with a grunt, he drives the blade into his chest cavity and feels the blood well up and ooze out, staining his shirt red, feeling warm and sticky and tasting metallic and salty on the tip of his tongue. He clenches his teeth and feels himself start to fall away, brick by brick like a demolished building.

The world grows dark, tinted in red and purple, and his vision blurs. He feels instinctual. He feels… hungry. Where are all the hearts? He wants to feed, feed, for he hungers so…

But… but. But he is human, isn't he? Or… he _was_ human? What is his name, again? He looks around, his vision now yellow-green night vision as he peers out from large yellow eyes. He flexes his black claws. He had a name. It was a name for the sky. What was it, again?

He looks around some more. He spots somebody he recognizes: a Nobody by the name of Zexion. His sharp-toothed smile breaks out into a grin. He remembers something: he met Zexion on a beach. Was that today? Was it years ago? He can't remember.

Above him, someone is talking. Shouting at him. His voice is a ferocious bark, his eyes flashing white with berserk anger. "Focus, you stupid animal! Third, maintain control! _Control!_ Who are you? Who are you?"

**[My name is Sora, fuckhead, so stop yelling at me!]**

He feels so dark, swearing like that. Wait, he can feel! And he remembered his own name! He smiles again.

Saix nearly smirks. Nearly. "Good. Now then, go over to Zexion and carry out the fourth step, consuming your own heart again."

The Heartless gives a curt nod and scurries as a shadow on the clean tile over to the other Nobody. He goggles up the beautiful, glowing heart in front of him. It tastes sweet and tart, like candy. He nibbles it greedily until his chest weighs down on him and he feels dizzy with strength. His world gets smaller as his body gets bigger, and he feels tired and dazed as he comes back to himself.

He is naked, for his clothes burned up in the Darkness. He collapses, and finds his Keyblade resting next to another naked boy.

"Fifth, wake up Roxas," Saix is telling him.

Sora stands and wobbles over to the other boy. He looks like he's dead; his skin is cold when Sora touches him, and he isn't breathing. But he is handsome, and just like how Sora remembers him from the dreams.

Sora hugs the blond, and feels like he just rescued somebody from a prison, the prison of his own mind and body and soul. He feels as though he just found his true brother, somebody who can fight alongside him and not be afraid of the battle or of Sora himself.

As he sets Roxas down again, Roxas's eyes open. He takes a breath. He blinks. Then, slowly, Roxas sits up and looks around the room in awe. Above them, the silver-haired observant nods once, grins wickedly, and walks away from the balcony's ledge and out of sight.

Zexion must have retrieved Axel and Demyx, because soon the three of them surround the two blue-eyed boys. "Finally!" Demyx cheers. "Now we can complete Kingdom Hearts and become whole! We have _two_ Keyblade wielders on our side!"

They help them stand, Axel taking Roxas's hand and Demyx taking Sora's. They look at one another for a moment, shy smiles meeting the more confident ones, and suddenly a wave of sickening comprehension hits Sora smack in the face: _What have I done?_


End file.
